Which of the following describes a computer processing architecture in which a language compiler or preprocessor breaks program instructions down into basic operations that can be performed by the processor at
the same time?
A.
Very-Long Instruction-Word Processor (VLIW)
B.
Complex-Instruction-Set-Computer (CISC)
C.
Reduced-Instruction-Set-Computer (RISC)
D.
Super Scalar Processor Architecture (SCPA)
Explanation:
Very long instruction word (VLIW) describes a computer processing architecture in which a language compiler
or pre-processor breaks program instruction down into basic operations that can be performed by the
processor in parallel (that is, at the same time).These operations are put into a very long instruction word which the processor can then take apart without
further analysis, handing each operation to an appropriate functional unit. The following answer are incorrect:
The term “CISC” (complex instruction set computer or computing) refers to computers designed with a full set
of computer instructions that were intended to provide needed capabilities in the most efficient way.
Later, it was discovered that, by reducing the full set to only the most frequently used instructions, the computer
would get more work done in a shorter amount of time for most applications. Intel’s Pentium microprocessors
are CISC microprocessors. The PowerPC microprocessor, used in IBM’s RISC System/6000 workstation and
Macintosh computers, is a RISC microprocessor. RISC takes each of the longer, more complex instructions
from a CISC design and reduces it to multiple instructions that are shorter and faster to process.
RISC technology has been a staple of mobile devices for decades, but it is now finally poised to take on a
serious role in data center servers and server virtualization. The latest RISC processors support virtualization
and will change the way computing resources scale to meet workload demands. A superscalar CPU
architecture implements a form of parallelism called instruction level parallelism within a single processor. It
therefore allows faster CPU throughput than would otherwise be possible at a given clock rate. A superscalar
processor executes more than one instruction during a clock cycle by simultaneously dispatching multiple
instructions to redundant functional units on the processor. Each functional unit is not a separate CPU core but
an execution resource within a single CPU such as an arithmetic logic unit, a bit shifter, or a multiplier.http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci214395,00.html
http://searchcio-midmarket.techtarget.com/definition/CISC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superscalar